The Military Diet

The Military Diet, sometimes called the 3 Day Diet, is a
quick way to lose weight. Proponents claim that you can lose 10 pounds in only three
days. The actual connection between this diet and any branch of the military is
a bit sketchy, but hey, who doesn’t want to look like a Marine recruiting
poster?

The military diet is a very low calorie plan. Too low, in
the eyes of the government, in fact. Over the course of three days, you will
eat about 2,800 calories. Safe dieting guidelines typically suggest eating at
least 1,200 calories a day, so this plan falls short. This is definitely not an
eating plan for the long term.

This is also a very prescriptive diet. You are told to eat
very specific foods in very specific quantities. Some people believe that these specific food
combinations trigger chemical reactions in our bodies that help with weight
loss. There is no science to support that hypothesis, though.

For day one, you get to eat a whopping 870 calories. For
breakfast you get coffee or tea (unsweetened or sweetened with zero-calorie
sweetener), half of a grapefruit (people taking blood pressure medication:
beware!), and a slice of toast with peanut butter (1 tbsp). Boom! 220 calories
or so, and your day has begun.

For lunch you get half a cup of tuna (or alternative
low-fat protein less than 100 calories), another slice of toast (but no peanut
butter this time) and coffee or tea again. This sumptuous meal weighs in at
about 180 calories.

Brace yourself, because for dinner you are allowed 470
calories! These calories come from your choice of lean meat (as long as it’s
under 100 calories), a cup of green beans, a cup of carrots, a cup of vanilla
ice cream (finally something I can get behind!), an apple and the coffee or tea
that we’ve seen all day. Congratulations, you’ve made it through day one. Day
two should be easier.

The second day of the military diet balloons our intake
to 1,150 calories! For breakfast you get one egg (any style, just watch the
preparation to avoid any added fat), a slice of dry toast, a banana and that
wonderful cup of coffee or tea. Nearly 50 calories more than yesterday’s
breakfast. Feeling full?

For lunch you will eat a cup of low-fat cottage cheese,
five saltines and a cup of coffee. Surprisingly, this is nearly 100 calories
more than day one’s lunch, so you should really celebrate that cottage cheese!

Dinner features to hot dogs (do the military still love their hot
dogs?), a half cup of carrots, a cup of broccoli, a banana, a half cup of
vanilla ice cream (thank you!) and coffee or tea. This meal is a massive 150
calorie jump over yesterday’s dinner intake. Better let out your belt.

Day three is the hardest, with only 860 calories all day.
The end is in sight though, so stay strong! For breakfast you get five
crackers, a slice of cheddar cheese, a small apple (who buys small apples?) and
a cup of coffee or tea. Tough? Yes, but just wait for lunch.

For lunch you will eat one hard boiled egg (which actually
requires more calories to digest than it delivers), a slice of dry toast and
coffee or tea. Take your time eating this meal. It claims to deliver 160
calories, but it won’t feel like it.

For dinner you get another cup of tuna or equivalent lean
protean, a cup of carrots, a cup of cauliflower, a cup of melon, and a blessed
half cup of vanilla ice cream. Plus, of course, your coffee or tea. This is about the same calorie load as day
one’s dinner, but by now you are biting your fingernails for nourishment, so
who’s counting calories?

If your will power (or your diet buddy) will support you
through this three day diet, you will lose weight. The military diet is so low calories;
there is no doubt that pounds will be shed. Staying on the military diet for
more than three days is not safe. After the rigors of following this diet, the
next most difficult task will be keeping the weight off. That is the central
flaw in the military diet (beyond the unsafe calorie restriction, that is), you
have not learned any new skills for long-term healthy eating. You will probably
snap back to your old eating habits and the weight will come back.

The military diet might work in some situation where you
need to lose weight quickly for a special event. For most of us, though, there
are many healthier options. Check out the Diet Picker at PickMyDiet to find the
best diets for you and your lifestyle. The military diet is unlikely to be the best one
for you.